


The Worst Way To Meet Your Soulmate

by Zira



Series: A Host of Snippets [5]
Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: F/F, F/M, Lisa is asexual, Other, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, as per canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zira/pseuds/Zira
Summary: Taylor found her soulmate while robbing the bank. The question is what does everyone do with the fallout?
Relationships: Alec | Regent/Circus, Amy Dallon | Panacea | Red Queen/Taylor Hebert | Skitter | Weaver, Sophia Hess | Shadow Stalker/Brian Laborn | Grue
Series: A Host of Snippets [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573387
Comments: 13
Kudos: 318





	The Worst Way To Meet Your Soulmate

After her dramatic speech to the hostages, Taylor instinctively glances at each of the women and girls. A reflex she's certain everyone does (be it towards men, women or both, depending), even if they refuse to admit it; only stopping when finally finding their soulmate. She's always felt kind of sorry for hers, really. Her parents gave her a unisex name, so her soulmate has twice the people to search. At least her last name is immensely distinctive.

The defiant freckled one is cute, and so is the nervous lady under the window, so she takes her time to look at the skin they have exposed. The nervous woman is easier, wearing a short skirt and tank top - odd, considering the rain, but whatever. She can see how the lady's soulmark - Thomas Smith; not very original Thomas's parents - is prominently on her left shoulder. 

While cutie freckle is bundled almost entirely. 

Still, she scans what skin there is, and ends on the back of the girl's hand. 

Oh... Oh wow. What a day to have this happen! What is the protocol? She's in costume, doing her first villainous act, and… Well, there it is, sure as sunlight: Taylor Hebert.

Unable to help it, she walks to where her soulmate is crouching, drops to one knee, and flips the catch on the mouthpiece of her mask, snapping it open a little dramatically. She can't help but feel relieved she made it this way, unwilling to fully unmask to show her mark, just in case. Thinking ahead: she does it.

Taking the girl's bare hands in her own gloved one, she lifts it up, pressing a kiss so their marks touch. The first place anyone touches skin to skin with their destined love.

The touch is warm and comforting, signifying how the bond takes hold. A connection of the heart, so her mother once told her, and she knows instinctively just how true that is. How being too far from her soulmate will burn and hurt until they've truly connected.

"Amelia," she breathes out, once the bond calms.

Almost instantly, everything goes dark.

\--

Taylor sits up, shaking her head, with what seems like chaos all around her. Amelia’s hand is on her jaw, a scowl on her face. “What… what happened?” she mumbles, sitting up. 

“I take it you don’t recognize me.”

“Of course I do,” she protests. For all that she saw the girl before falling unconscious, she’s not forgetting her _soulmate_! “You’re Amelia.” She knows her voice goes soft and happy, “My Amelia,” and taps her lips to demonstrate exactly what she means, as if it isn’t clear enough.

Her Amelia closes her eyes, looking pained, “No, you don’t.” 

She tilts her head, “Of course I do. You’re-”

There’s a surprisingly amused sounding cough, and she has no clue how that’s possible. Tattletale says, forced cheerfully, “So, lovebirds, we gotta get moving already.”

Nodding, Taylor takes Lisa’s offered hand, “Right.” She takes Amelia’s hand, helping her up. “Bitch’s dogs are ready?” 

“And loaded up.” Lisa must read how Taylor wants to ask what happened to make her pass out, since she says, “Questions later. Come on, you two.”

So she gets to where the dogs are, climbing up, and helping Amelia up with her. Bitch growling angrily, but not arguing. Which means something _big_ went down while she was unconscious, and she needs to find out more. Amelia wraps her arms around Taylor’s waist, and they take off into what looks like an absolute clusterfuck. 

She tilts her head, casually bringing a swarm around to harass Aegis, “Why are the Wards here?” She honestly should have noticed before, but … Amelia.

“You robbed a bank near Arcadia during the lunch break,” Amelia informs her dryly.

“We… _lunch break_? Tattletale!” she yells, frustrated. “You said they wouldn’t be here!”

Lisa gives her a nasty look, “I miscalculated, Mantis!”

“Understatement,“ Alec drawls, leaning down to hit a Ward in a weird checkerboard suit with his sceptre, as they hurry through the rapidly enclosing darkness from Grue. 

Taylor can only vaguely tell what is going on through her tagging of everyone with her bugs, but generally, she’s blinded to everything otherwise. She mostly focuses on heading on out and escaping to the best of her ability, and tugging off a glove to hold Amelia's hand in her own. She knows from her mother’s stories that skin to skin contact is the best choice until the bond truly settles. It isn’t required, of course, but it does actually make her feel better. 

They manage to get away after she sends enough bugs to sting the various Wards, but does attempt to not hurt them badly. Nothing that she uses can cause anaphylactic shock, but they all are pretty annoying. Being bitten by flies always sucks, that’s for sure.

When they get away, the money is handed off to some people in a fairly deserted place, Grue and Tattletale dealing with that. Taylor is honestly too distracted to pay much attention to anything but her Amelia. She leans against the other girl, eyes closed, “I’m so glad I’ve found you.”

Amelia is silent for a long moment, and finally says, voice soft, “For a long time… I thought you’d be a boy.”

She flinches at that, “Are you... Are you mad that I’m…” She can’t finish the sentence. If even her soulmate doesn’t want her, what can she _do_? All that taunting and horribleness. If it ends with Amelia wanting nothing to do with her, what will she do?

“No. I’m not mad.” Amelia leans against her, silent for a bit before saying, “Relieved, really. Makes some things make more sense, and more confusing in other ways.”

“Want to talk about it?” Since she can listen to anything Amelia wants to tell her. Now that she’s found the other girl, Taylor feels a bit like she can do anything. So when Amelia hesitates, she stays silent, feeling like it is best to let the other girl make her own call.

Unfortunately, Grue comes over, saying sharply, “Let’s get back to the base.” Taylor scowls, but says nothing as Brian climbs onto Brutus, and they get out and onto the route back. She frowns when her insects hear him mutter, “I thought I had the awkward soulmate.”

She frowns at that, knowing that Grue isn’t willing to talk about whoever that is, but it looks like she is going to have to get that story now. She knows Alec’s is Circus, but they also only show up randomly for spending the night only to rush off after eating far more of the food than is their fair share. According to Lisa, anyway. 

She asks softly, “Is there a reason Grue thinks it’s… awkward for us to be together?”

“He does?”

“...My powers make it easy for me to know what all is happening all around us.” She doesn’t mention about how the dumpster they’re passing by has a dead animal in it. Since, like, she wishes she didn’t get to know this shit, but this is her life now.

“Oh…” Amelia keeps hold of her, head on her shoulder as they lope along the streets, “You don’t know who I am?”

She huffs, “You’re my Amelia. Just like I’m _your_ Taylor.”

That gets a small laugh, and Amelia holds her closer before loosening her grip, like a hug. “I’ll explain more once we’re at the… base. I get the feeling I’ll need to tell you there, when we aren't dealing with riding on weird dogs.”

“They’re just normal dogs Bitch uses her power on.”

“Why is she called that, anyway?”

She ends up explaining a few things as they get to the base, and when they get into the building, Amy is leaning on her and saying, “Thank you for letting me ride, Bitch.”

Rachel scowls, but nods once before focusing on Grue, “I’m gonna go take care of my dogs.”

“Change first, then go ahead.”

It gets a growl, but Rachel heads to do just that. 

Taylor lets everyone settle in a little - Lisa’s clearly tired, Brian looks irritated, while Alec is just playing video games - before sitting with Amelia on the couch, saying, “So... want to tell me what the problem is?”

Alec shrugs at her, while Lisa and Brian share a glance. However, it is Amelia saying dryly, “Taylor, I’m not sure how you don’t realize this, but I’m Panacea.”

She blinks, staring at her Amelia, “But… Panacea is _Amy Dallon_. You’re Amelia Lavere. I should know. Your name is written right on my lips.” Since if she had Amy Dallon on her lips, she’d have long since met with Panacea to have their bonding, and they would have possibly been heroes together. Who knows?

Not that it matters, since she has a soul bond with _Amelia_.

Alec chuckles next to them, “Dork.”

She frowns at him, but Amelia squeezes her hand, regaining her attention. “I’m Amy Dallon,” Amelia says, sounding tired.

Lisa adds, “She was adopted, and they changed her name.” Lisa teeter-totters a hand, “Kinda.” 

Amelia sighs, “Just my last name and I use a nickname for my first.”

“I have some good news?” Lisa says, looking for all the world like she doesn’t want to say this, but kind of has to. “The general populace has no clue she’s Panacea, not really. But that’s kind of tempered with the bad news.”

“Yes?”

“How about you tell her, Amy?”

Amelia winces a little, “I’d sent a text to Vicky, so she knows.”

What little she knows of Glory Girl, that isn’t exactly a good thing, but is also not a terrible thing. However, she can tell something bad is going to happen because of this. Mostly due to Lisa just saying so, and Lisa isn’t usually one to soften the blow for things they need to know. 

“What is going to happen?”

Brian groans, rubbing his forehead, “You two can’t be separated for the next day-”

“Week,” Lisa corrects, sounding amused. “It isn’t like you and Sophia.”

“I hate that bitch.”

“Sophia?” Taylor asks, having a small inkling of what is about to be said. Soulmate, of course. But she’s never really… heard of soulmates hating each other? It’s just absurd.

“Shadow Stalker,” Lisa says quickly, but not so quickly it cuts off or overwhelms what Brian says, which is very clear what Lisa meant to happen instead of Taylor hearing it loud and clear.

“Sophia Hess.”

Lisa groans, face in her hands, but Taylor barely notices, just shooting to her feet. “Sophia fucking Hess is your soulmate?!?”

Brian stares at her, a little shell shocked, then scowls, “Unfortunately. What the bitch do?”

“She made me trigger, is fucking what!”

“Shadow Stalker did _what_?” Amelia almost screeches, making Taylor just kind of freeze and stare at her, anger cooling quickly.

“Sophia… made me trigger.”

“How!”

So, not really sure how it comes to this, Taylor ends up talking about being bullied mercilessly, and the locker. She kind of ends on how she knows telling people isn’t really going to help anything, and how Emma’s father is a lawyer. 

Which has Amelia frown, “Alan Barnes? The divorce lawyer?”

“Yeah.”

That has her soulmate frown, and pull out her phone, texting someone as she says, “Carol, my adoptive mom, works with that guy. If he’s as much of a dirtbag about this as you think-”

“He shows up in the Principal’s office when I’m called down there with Emma and threatens me.”

“Sounds like a clear case of him being a shit lawyer, and that should make Carol mad. I can get Vicky to do something about it.”

Staring at her soulmate, Taylor tips her head, and asks, voice small, “You’ll do that for me?”

Amelia looks at her, smiling kindly, “Of course.”

Unable to help it, Taylor moves closer, and just wraps an arm around Amelia’s waist, leaning and cuddling her. Amelia doesn't seem to consciously notice, but leans back, eyes going half-lidded in comfort. The text sends with a soft beep, and Lisa says, “You’re both going to have to tell your families you found each other. It’ll be about a week. I think.”

“You think?” Amelia snaps, sounding irritated.

Lisa’s eyes dart to Taylor then Amelia and back. “I don’t know how long, exactly, the bond will take. I guessed two days for Alec and Rowan, but-”

“It was a week and a half,” Alec says, winking saucily. “Spent most of that in my room, and we sure did enjoy it. You want to get some dental dams or-”

Brian throws a pillow at the other boy’s face to shut him up, “Leave them be, idiot.”

Alec, proving he’s kind of stupid, says, “Oh, right, this is Panacea, dork. You’ll be fine. Maybe she can grow you a dick and-”

Amelia shuts Alec up by leaning over and pushing her hand on the boy’s face, saying, “If you don’t stop, I will make it so you can't get an erection ever again.”

Alec, sensibly, says, “I’ll be good.”

“You fucking better,” Amelia says flatly, pulling away slowly. “But, just so you know, you won’t be getting one for the next week anyway, just because you pissed me off.”

Alec frowns, then shrugs, “I’ll be fine.”

“You keep your mouth shut about what Taylor and I will do behind closed doors, or I will ruin any ability you have to enjoy your time with …Rowan.”

“I got it!” Alec snaps, looking irritated. He focuses back on the game he’s playing, muttering, “Sheesh, try to joke, and jump down your throat.”

Ignoring her more obnoxious teammate, Taylor says, “Do you usually underestimate the time, Lisa?”

“She thought it would be a month for me and Shadow Stalker,” Brian informs her with a shrug. “She seems spot on for the ones without powers, from what we can tell.”

Amelia hums, “So, we’ll go with a week for now, but if it is more or less, then it is what it is.”

“Yeah,” she says, adjusting how she’s laying. Taylor has her head on Amelia’s lap, looking up at the other girl, “I’m glad you’re my soulmate.”

That gets a blink, and then a raised eyebrow, “Oh? Why’s that?”

Reaching up, Taylor touches Amelia’s cheek, “You are even prettier than I’ve ever imagined, and-” 

She cuts off when her soulmate blushes brightly, turning a bit to hide her face in Taylor’s hand, making a soft sort of squeak, then louder, still flustered, “You liar!”

Part of her wants to give Amelia a kiss, but instead, her other hand snags the soulmarked hand, and kisses it, pressing their marks together. She can feel how they both just… relax, just like how her parents say it feels when they were both happy and touched their marks together. Part of her never wants it to stop, just for them to be calm and happy forever.

Content.

It’s a feeling so unusual, she feels like she’s losing herself to it. It’s… the very best thing ever. Being with Amelia, and seeing how Amelia smiles at her. She doesn’t know how she can do without the other girl’s touch, not now that she knows just how amazing it is to be with her.

Amelia must feel the same, since the girl’s eyes are soft as she leans down, tugging Taylor up a bit-

Only to twitch in pain, and pull away, rubbing her back, “Fuck!”

Sitting up quickly, Taylor rubs where Amelia is, “What happened? Are you okay?” Does Amelia not _want_ to kiss her? Is she too ugly to-

Amelia turns towards her, and taps their foreheads together, eyes closed. “Sorry about that, but… I’m not flexible enough to kiss you when you have your head in my lap.”

She flushes, “Ah.. right. Sorry.”

Amelia’s eyes open as she laughs a little, “Not your fault! I’m the one who was gonna kiss you!”

Biting her lower lip, Taylor says, cautiously, “You… you can kiss me. I don’t mind.”

Amelia smiles at her, and moves just a bit, foreheads no longer touching. Just as quickly, her soulmate’s lips are on hers, and is it… perfect.

Taylor doesn’t think she can ever be happier.

Which is, of course, interrupted after a bit by a weird high pitched sound. She pulls away slowly, and turns to see Lisa with her hands clasped, held to her chin, and eyes the biggest she’s ever seen. 

“... can I help you?” Amelia asks, tone so dry that the Sahara receives more hydration in a decade than that statement does in a few seconds.

Lisa only grins at them, and it is Brian who says, “Well, it’s nice to see you two get along. Now, do you stay here, or do you head home?”

Taylor glances at Amelia, and says, cautiously, “We can go to your-”

“Ah… no. We go to your house. Not mine.” Her soulmate pulls up her phone, glancing through it, “Vicky says Carol is… on a warpath. She’s not sure if it is about me being with a group of villains now, or about her coworker being a shithead.” The phone is set aside, “My guess? It’s both piling on each other like a bunch of venomous snakes.”

“And if we show up, we’re shoving our hands in to get bitten?”

“... yeah. Pretty much.”

Lisa hops up, “Alright. Looks like you’re using your room, Taylor.”

She nods slowly, “Do we have any food, or did Rowan take it all?”

A glance at the kitchen area, then Lisa says, “Should be fine. They don’t come to take any when we’re not here. Asshole likes to see us do it, just because.”

Taylor stands up, helping Amelia to her feet, “Let’s go check it out. Last time I looked, I didn’t even have a bed. That get fixed?”

“Had the boss equip it, don’t worry,” Brian informs her, grabbing the spare controller to play with Alec. “If you need something, we’ll get it in before long.”

“Thanks.” She leads Amelia to her room, and says, “So… I’m not really sure how we’re supposed to act now. I know I was told it’s different for everyone, but…”

Amelia leans her head on Taylor’s shoulder, “We’ll figure it out together. Don’t worry.”

The warm weight of her soulmate makes that statement feel factual, and entirely hopeful. “Yeah, we will,” she relies with a small smile and shuts the door behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the only finished chapter of this. I lost steam and focus. It happens.


End file.
